India's political landscape is ablaze with activity! From the ongoing debates surrounding the new farm bills and their impact on rural India, to the upcoming state elections shaping the national narrative, the stakes couldn't be higher. Key political figures are maneuvering strategically, with alliances shifting and power dynamics constantly in flux. The opposition's challenge to the ruling party is intensifying, sparking vigorous debates on crucial policy matters including economic reforms and social justice initiatives. Parliamentary proceedings are filled with heated exchanges, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. This evolving political climate directly impacts the lives of every Indian citizen, influencing everything from economic opportunities to social welfare programs. Stay informed about the latest developments in Indian politics, from crucial legislative decisions to grassroots movements, by exploring Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and breaking news updates. Understanding the intricacies of our political system is crucial; stay engaged, stay informed, and stay ahead.
New Delhi, Oct 21 (UNI) Delhiites woke up to a hazy morning a day after Diwali as the city's air quality plunged to the 'severe' category on Tuesday. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the national capital recorded the worst air among all metros following a night of festive celebrations. At 4 p.m., Delhi's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 351, placing it in the 'very poor' category. Mumbai followed next, with PM2.5 as the main pollutant and an AQI of 211, categorised as 'poor'. Other metros fared better -- Kolkata (174), Chennai (142), and Hyderabad (116) all recorded 'moderate' air quality levels. Bengaluru was the only major city with air quality in the 'satisfactory' range, recording an AQI below 100. Officials attributed the sharp decline in Delhi's air quality to firecracker emissions, stagnant wind conditions, and a drop in temperature, which trapped pollutants near the surface. After the Supreme Court's ruling earlier last week, residents of Delhi and the NCR were permitted to burst green firecrackers during specified hours on Diwali eve and Diwali night. Data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) showed a significant overnight spike in PM2.5 levels across most monitoring stations, particularly in central and east Delhi. Meanwhile, Jind topped the national chart with an AQI of 421, followed by Dharuhera (412), Narnaul (390), and Rohtak (376) -- all in the severe category. Gurugram (370), Bahadurgarh (368), Sirsa (353), and Charkhi Dadri (353) in the very poor range, affecting even healthy individuals. Neighbouring NCR cities like Ghaziabad (324), Noida (320), Manesar (320), and Hapur (314) reported similarly toxic haze. Widespread violation of firecracker regulations were noted in Delhi-NCR with bursting continuing after days permitted by apex court and outside permitted hours, intensifying the smog.
Berhampur (Odisha), Jun 6 (PTI) Environmental activist Medha Patkar on Saturday appealed to the people of Odisha for protection of Rushikulya river. The government planned to construct a dam in the river Pipalapnaka under Sorada block in the district. While participating in the Save Rushikulya river movement in Ganjam district, she said, "Rivers may be small or big, but they are our mother. We have to protect the rivers from attacks." She attended a meeting were organised by the Rushikulya Banchao Kriyaanusthan Committee (RBKC) and the Centre for Climate Justice, spearheading the agitation a ...Read More >
New Delhi/Noida, Jun 27 (PTI) End-of-life vehicles detected at fuel stations or found parked at public places will be impounded and a penalty of Rs 10,000 imposed on four-wheeler owners and Rs 5,000 on two-wheeler owners starting July 1, officials said on Friday. EOL vehicles are diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years. Irrespective of the states they are registered in, they will not be given fuel in Delhi starting July 1, according to directions issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) earlier. Around 500 fuel stations in Delhi have inst ...Read More >
Bengaluru: Mysuru Dasara is set to run for 11 days this year -- a rare extension driven by celestial alignment and cultural planning -- with the inaugural ceremony on Sept 22 and the grand Jamboo Savari taking place on Oct 2, coinciding with Vijayadashami and Gandhi Jayanti.Chairing a high-level meeting at Vidhana Soudha Friday, chief minister Siddaramaiah said, "Mysuru Dasara in 2025 will be celebrated for 11 days, due to a unique astronomical occurrence -- the Panchami tithi (fifth lunar day) will appear on two consecutive days, Sept 26 and 27, a rare alignment that hasn't occurred in nearly ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 29 (PTI) The national capital on Sunday recorded a minimum temperature of 26.8 degrees Celsius, 1.1 notch below the season's average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The relative humidity at 8.30 am stood at 75 per cent. Parts of Delhi received rain on Saturday, giving the impression that the monsoon is around the corner. However, the IMD has not yet officially declared the arrival of the monsoon in the city. Areas in east, west, south, and southeast Delhi recorded rainfall, while northern and central parts of the city remained dry. A yellow alert has ...Read More >
New Delhi: The southwest monsoon has officially covered the entire country nine days before the usual date, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed on Sunday. Light to moderate rainfall was recorded across parts of Rajasthan, western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi, signalling the early arrival. The IMD declared that monsoon advanced into the remaining parts of Rajasthan, West UP, Haryana, and Delhi on June 29, completing its full coverage across India. Normally, the monsoon covers the entire country by July 8. This makes 2025 one of the fastest monsoon advances in recent years, ...Read More >
Delhi's air pollution continues to worsen, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) hitting a hazardous 490, despite the government's 21-point plan to tackle the issue. The city’s residents are struggling to breathe, even indoors, and hospitals are overwhelmed with patients facing respiratory problems. The pollution crisis is exacerbated by the lack of cooperation among Delhi and neighboring states, and the central government, with each blaming the other. This pollution not only threatens public health but also jeopardizes Delhi's economic future, as it could drive away professionals and harm business ...Read More >
Noida: The city's air quality improved slightly on Wednesday but remained in the 'poor' category with an air quality index (AQI) of 208, compared to the previous day's 223. The AQI of Greater Noida (231) and Ghaziabad (216) improved marginally but also stayed 'poor'. It was 234 in Greater Noida and 238 in Ghaziabad on Tuesday. In Noida, Sector 62 was the worst hit and recorded an AQI of 271 (poor), followed by Sector 116 (230) -- also 'poor'. The Sector 1 monitoring station recorded a 'moderate' AQI at 121. The Sector 125 station did not record this data. In Greater Noida, the AQI at Knowled ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 7 (ANI): In view of rising pollution levels, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has enforced Stage-I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR with immediate effect. The action came after Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 209, which falls under the 'Poor' category. The decision was a comprehensive review by the CAQM Sub-Committee, which convened on Saturday and reviewed the air quality scenario in the region, as well as the IMD/IITM forecasts and air quality index of Delhi comprehensively. 'The AQI of Delhi has shown an increa ...Read More >
Bengaluru Power Cuts: Citizens of Bengaluru brace yourself for long hours of power outages from June 29 and June 30. More than 100 areas will be impacted as BESCOM undertakes its quarterly maintenance work in various of its division. Bengaluru Power Outages June 29: According to the update by BESCOM on its X handler, there will be power outages in Kittaganahalli, Palasandra, Saptagiri, Maruthinagar, Sankapur, Raghavendra Nagar, Goolarivee, Baddihalli, Kesaramadu, C.M Badawan, Kalalli and SKS village on June 29 from 10 am to 5 pm. BESCOM's executive engineer has appealed to consumers to coop ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) Starting Tuesday, the Delhi government is planning to stop the sale of petrol and diesel to end-of-life (EoL) or over-age vehicles - a move aimed at fighting vehicular emission-linked air pollution in the Capital, an official said. Petrol pump owners on Monday confirmed that Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras and other devices linked to the transport ministry's data bank have been installed at their outlets to identify EoL vehicles. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has issued a direction that all EoL vehicles identified throu ...Read More >
For the second consecutive day on Monday (December 2, 2024), Delhi's air quality showed a slight improvement although it remained in the 'poor' category with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 273 in the morning. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi's 24-hour average AQI on Sunday stood at 285, an improvement to the 'poor' category and a welcome relief following 32 consecutive days of 'very poor' and 'severe' air quality (AQI over 400). The city's air quality was last recorded in the 'poor' category on October 29 with an AQI of 268, according to the CPCB. Farm fires ris ...Read More >
Delhi residents breathed easier Thursday as air quality improved to 'moderate' after a month of severe pollution. The AQI dropped to 161, though some areas still experienced 'poor' air quality. Cooler temperatures and mist accompanied the improved air, with the minimum temperature reaching 9 degrees Celsius. The Supreme Court maintained GRAP-IV restrictions, demanding compensation for construction workers from NCR states.Residents in Delhi took a sigh of relief on Thursday as the air quality inde ...Read More >
New Delhi: The BS3 petrol and BS4 diesel vehicle ban has been lifted in Delhi after the Air Quality Index (AQI) improved to the moderate category. The Supreme Court allowed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to ease restrictions due to the improvement in the national capital's air pollution situation. Delhi had been facing high pollution levels, which led CAQM to enforce Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The court has now asked the commission to apply GRAP Stage 2. ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Delhi recorded its lowest minimum temperature of the winter season on Wednesday, with the mercury plunging to 4.9 degrees Celsius, a sharp drop from 8 degrees Celsius the previous day. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated, "The minimum temperature of 4.9 degrees Celsius reported over Safdarjung is the lowest minimum of this winter season. The same minimum temperature of 4.9 degrees Celsius was reported last year also on 15th December." The coldest minimum temperature ever recorded at the Safdarjung station was 0.0 degrees Celsius on December 27, 1930, according to the ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jan 31 (PTI) The national capital wrapped up a rather warm January with Friday's maximum temperature reaching 27 degrees Celsius, making it the city's warmest day in the month since 2019. The month's average maximum temperature was 21.1 degrees Celsius, a notch above the long-period average of 20.1 degrees Celsius, marking it as Delhi's warmest January since 2019. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, nighttime temperatures were also higher than usual. The average minimum temperature for the month settled at 8.5 degrees Celsius, a notch above the LPA of 7.5 deg ...Read More >
New Delhi: Three Indian citizens vanished mysteriously in Tehran. Darkness closed in as hope seemed lost. A ruthless Pakistani gang with potential links to ISI snatched them away, casting a shadow of fear. But relentless Indian diplomats refused to back down. Against all odds, a daring rescue mission ignited. Now, the captives are free, and a chilling game of espionage comes to light. The Punjab-based trio - Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Jaspal Singh from SBS Nagar and Hushnapreet Singh from Sangrur - had landed in Iran on May 1. Promised a clandestine route to Australia via Dubai and Tehra ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 29 (ANI): The Delhi government has requested Rs 1,000 crore in funding from the Central government to deploy new technology and implement measures aimed at reducing the Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital, Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said on Sunday during an inspection of Nehru Park. Minister Singh visited Nehru Park along with Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, as part of the government's initiative to install air purifiers in the area. Also Read | US: 24-Year-Old Indian Woman Simran Simran Goes Missing Days After Arriving for Arranged Mar ...Read More >
Delhi's Artificial Rain Through Cloud Seeding: To combat air pollution, Delhi is set to witness the first trial of artificial rain, with cloud seeding operations between July 4 and 11. Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the flight plan has been submitted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Pune. He said the current weather conditions are not suitable for cloud seeding until July 3, but a tentative flight window has been proposed between July 4 and 11. He added that a proposal has also been sent to the Directorat ...Read More >
New Delhi: A day after the southwest monsoon officially arrived, the city experienced patchy rainfall ranging from very light to moderate intensity, bringing further relief from the heat. Thick, dark monsoon clouds blanketed Delhi and its surrounding areas throughout Monday, contributing to a noticeable dip in daytime temperatures.While the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted moderate rain for the day, it did not issue any colour-coded weather warnings for the remainder of the week. However, light rain is still expected to persist in the coming days."Delhi is currently under th ...Read More >
Delhi is facing worsening pollution and erratic weather patterns, with the air quality regularly reaching dangerous levels. This is partly due to climate change, with temperature rises and unpredictable rainfall patterns caused by global warming. The industrial revolution has played a significant role, contributing to the rise in global temperatures. The effects are already being felt, with 2024 witnessing record-breaking heat in India. Despite this, there is little action from society or leadership, with courts repeatedly stepping in to address issues like pollution and farm fires. The need f ...Read More >
Severe air pollution in northern India has led to a surge in demand for respiratory medications, with Foracort becoming India’s top-selling drug in October. The inhaler, used to treat asthma and COPD, recorded Rs 75 crore in sales, surpassing popular medicines like Augmentin and Glycomet-GP. Manufactured by Cipla, Foracort combines budesonide and formoterol for effective dual-action therapy. Other respiratory drugs, Duolin and Budecort, also saw increased sales. With Delhi’s Air Quality Index reaching hazardous levels, the rise in respiratory issues underscores the urgent need for better healt ...Read More >
The Supreme Court on Monday (December 2, 2024) refused to relax emergency measures under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) dealing with air pollution in the national capital till it noticed a downward trend in the AQI level. A Bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih further sought the presence of the chief secretaries of NCR states to appear through video-conferencing to inform it whether or not any compensation was paid to the construction workers who were without work owing to the restrictions. Delhi air pollution: Air quality in Capital plunges to 'very po ...Read More >
Fresh spells of rain lashed parts of the national capital on Saturday, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue an 'orange' alert, warning of more showers, thunderstorms, and gusty winds throughout the day. Light to moderate rainfall was reported across east, west, south, and southeast Delhi, with the IMD forecasting wind speeds between 30 to 50 km/h in the coming hours. Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 28.7 degree Celsius, 0.8 degrees above the seasonal average, whil ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 29 (PTI) The Congress on Sunday attacked the Centre and Rajasthan governments over the reported plan to redraw the boundaries of the Sariska Tiger Reserve for the reactivation of over 50 mining operations, saying the move would be "ecologically devastating". The opposition party also said that with the Rajasthan and Union environment ministers both being from Alwar, this "double engine" cannot be supporting such a move. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared on X a media report which claimed that a plan to redraw the boundaries of Rajasthan's ...Read More >
Delhi Weather Update: Delhi experienced dense fog on Thursday morning, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reporting a minimum temperature of 7°C. The fog led to the implementation of low-visibility procedures at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI), although flights continued to operate as scheduled. The weather forecast for the coming days indicates that dense fog will persist in the early morning and late-night hours on December 26 and 28. The IMD also predicts partly cloudy skies, with the possibility of very light rain or drizzle during the evening or night. As of Thursd ...Read More >
Gurgaon: Two days after a law student died and his friend suffered critical injuries when a car knocked them down as they stood near railing on the service lane of Delhi-Jaipur highway in the early hours of Tuesday, a civil engineer was arrested on Thursday.Mohit (31), an employee of a private company in the city, told police that he got drowsy while driving. He is staying at a PG facility in Sector 14.The student who died, Harsh Singhal (25), was a resident of Om Nagar colony. His friend Abhishek Kumar (23), who is from Shanti Nagar in Sector 11, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The Delhi government is set to deploy joint enforcement teams from the transport department, traffic police, and MCD at fuel stations to implement the ban on refuelling end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) from July 1. These teams will monitor compliance on the ground and impound any vehicles found violating the directive. "We will deploy a team comprising transport and traffic police officials at each of these fuel stations. They will ensure that there is no law-and-order problem while implementing the system," said Ajay Chaudhary, Special Commissioner (Traffic), Delhi Police. End-of-lif ...Read More >
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Delhi on Monday, forecasting generally cloudy skies with light to moderate rain and thunderstorms. These are expected to be accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph, occasionally reaching up to 50 kmph during storms. According to the IMD, an orange alert suggests the possibility of moderate to heavy rainfall. The alert signifies severe weather that could impact transport and power supply. The showers are likely to lower the maximum temperature, keeping it between 31 and 33 degrees Celsius, while the minimu ...Read More >
American entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, known for his quest to reverse aging, experienced the effects of Mumbai's air pollution during his India tour. Promoting his book Don't Die, Johnson detailed his discomfort despite using air purifiers and masks. He adhered to his rigorous health routine, carrying all his meals and supplements for the six-day trip. The visit included an exclusive meetup with prominent figures like Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal, showcasing his dedication to health and longevity advocacy.Bryan Johnson, the American entrepreneur renowned for his anti-aging mission, has drawn atten ...Read More >
New Delhi/Noida, Jun 27 (PTI) End-of-life vehicles detected at fuel stations or found parked at public places will be impounded and a penalty of Rs 10,000 imposed on four-wheeler owners and Rs 5,000 on two-wheeler owners starting July 1, officials said on Friday. EOL vehicles are diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years. Irrespective of the states they are registered in, they will not be given fuel in Delhi starting July 1, according to directions issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) earlier. Also Read | UK F-35B Lightning II Stealth F ...Read More >